The Truth Behind the Lie
by MT Pocketts
Summary: [ItaSaku,rated T for suggestive content] Sakura knows him, and that's why she can't seem to explain if this love she feels is real or imagined. But she does know for sure that it is there.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or Sakura, or Itachi…_

_**A/N:** I will use italics to represent flashbacks so that hopefully it won't be too confusing._

**The Truth Behind the Lie**

**By MT Pocketts**

Her fingers intertwined with his, black fingernails mixing with pink. Haruno Sakura let out a relaxed sigh as she lay back in the comfort of her bed. The warm mass pressed against her back shifted slightly as the arm around her waist tightened. So tired from the day that had come and gone, yet too eager to soak up every moment of this –of _him_—to allow herself to sleep.

"Where have you been?" she whispered, letting the question slip into the void while foreign muscles tensed behind her.

"Away," was all the answer she received and felt a pain in her heart even as he nuzzled her neck.

"I thought you'd forgotten…" Sakura trailed off and leaned slightly into the warm body next to hers. She could not remember ever feeling so happy—so _free_—because he was finally here with her. It was like a wonderful dream come true. The feeling of his body against hers made everything between seem worthwhile.

"I never forgot, Sakura," he spoke into her ear, his hot breath teasing her skin. The girl allowed herself a tainted smile, even if she knew the truth behind the lie.

"How am I supposed to believe you?" her inner voice arose, questioning and suspicious as always. And for good reason; because she knew what he was like. He did not reply to the question and she cursed herself for even asking. Sakura knew the answer that would come; in his casual yet brutally honest tone.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, sounding separate from his words. She felt his slowed breathing on her neck and found that she didn't care whether or not she could believe him. Somehow, she knew they were in love even if it did not always feel like it.

As she thought about their relationship, Sakura kept drifting back to that time when they had first met…

_A few potential entries into the ninja academy were waiting around while her parents were there with her the same day that the Uchihas were signing up their youngest. Sakura had been allowed to wander off into the area near the swing where some of the other youngsters were playing. Some were on the swing, others were playing tag, and some of the girls were staring at her and whispering. Blushing, Sakura reached up and tried to cover her "large" forehead. Her blushing worsened when she heard the girls start to giggle and confirm her suspicions._

_Looking around the yard they were in, she saw a pair that looked like brothers sitting alone; a pair that would affect her life in many ways. Feeling curious, adventuresome, and lonely she went over to them. She greeted the pair with a warm "Hi! I'm Sakura!" only to be met with silence. Two pairs of dark eyes looked her over with mild interest._

_The Uchiha brothers frequently found themselves separate from groups, and rarely saw gutsy ones like this pink-haired girl come up to them. The older one—Itachi—found her amusing and so watched her with curiosity. She seemed very friendly and open, and she wore a grin on her face brighter than any he had ever seen. He slowly registered that his younger brother seemed to be trying to decide whether to watch her like Itachi or to say something to this girl._

_Sakura was beginning to feel embarrassed, like she had done something wrong, when Itachi finally nudged his brother and mumbled "a peer has introduced herself to you, don't be rude." The younger boy muttered an apology and then turned to Sakura._

"_I'm Sasuke," said her future crush. _

It was this innocent moment that she later found herself dreaming about, and was likely the beginning of that "puppy love". Her image of Sasuke was molded from that first impression; a young boy who absorbed things somewhat before reacting and could use guidance. Little did she know that it was his brother who would steal her heart.

And now here she was, finding herself drifting to sleep with the warmth of Itachi's arm lying across her hip. It was like a dream, and yet it was so very real to her. She couldn't quite figure it out; it was like she could not figure anything out when it came to him. Uchiha Itachi, a name that could melt and freeze her simultaneously.

That time they had met again many years later she had almost mistaken him for Sasuke…

…_Except for his eyes and the deep lines in his cheeks. She found his eyes were so much more captivating and striking than those of her old teammate. Sakura had been surprised to see him—and even more surprised when her emotions over came her. The man who stood before her was the reason Sasuke had left Konoha—left _her_—and at the time all she wanted to so was to make this man pay._

_It wasn't long before she found herself separated from Kakashi and Naruto, and eye to eye with Itachi. She was amazed to find that she could not lift a hand against him. Was it an illusion?_

_Sakura snapped her eyes shut when his hand touched her chin gently. His touch was soft, almost tender, and yet she felt so violated. Two and a half years of training with the fifth Hokage had come down to this moment; this moment where she could not do a single thing to defend herself. Once again, she had to hope for someone to save her. _

"_Sakura-san," He said and her eyelids fluttered as she realized he had recognized her. "My, it's been awhile. You've grown since that day outside the academy." She managed to keep her eyes closed and now that he had broken the tension she found it easier to try and move. He was so close to her, confusing her even more._

_She gasped in pain as he threw her against a nearby tree in retaliation for her preparing a jutsu that could be used to disconnect the nerve endings in his arms. She could not say that the action surprised her, but rather that the suddenness of it had. After all, only a few seconds ago had he touched his fingers traced her jaw line so delicately. He held her so tightly against that tree, so tight that he was her only support. _

In the present she felt his arm shift upwards and hug her waist instead of her hip. Sakura let out her second sigh as the need for sleep continued to increase. If only she could just keep dreaming…

_It had been in the heat of that moment that she had realized the connection that was more than what appeared on the surface between them. That moment when he did the last thing she had ever expected him to do—he let her go and turned away._

"_What?" she blurted out as she dropped down the tree trunk. He paused only once as he was walking away and she still could not be sure of what he had said._

"_Hate me if you wish," Sakura though she heard him say, "But don't do it because of him. Hate me for yourself, and find your own truth behind the lie."_

"_Why did you let me go?" she had to know as he continued to walk away._

"_Because you reached out that day when we were alone," Itachi had stated so clearly and simply before he faded away. _

_And from then on it had been a game of teasing her. He left such an imprint upon her that she began to wonder if he had used some kind of genjutsu that had never fully worn of—or that she had never really left. It was this way so much that when he came she could never be sure if it was really him. Sakura had dreamed of him continually after that chance meeting, and the dreams became more real and less dramatic as time wore on and more of these "meetings" that she could not explain occurred. She had dreamed of him, been haunted by him and all but stalked by him. Yet she knew it was not really a game, she somehow knew that someday it would all make sense…_

Sakura's eyes opened groggily and she found herself warm and in her own bed. Rolling over, she found nothing. A frown crossed her face when careful analysis told her that this time might have only been a dream. A tear pricked at her eye at this thought; it had been so real this time. Was it ever real? Was everything she had ever dreamed about him _just_ a _dream_?

With a dark cloud above her head, Sakura rolled out of bed and went to her mirror to brush her hair. She stared at her reflection and wondered if this love she felt was real, or imagined. It would never be whole, this she knew, but Sakura could not decide if she really wanted to know the truth behind the lie.

**A/N:** Yes! Finally by first ItaSaku story! I'm sorry if this turned out kind of weird, but it's my first time with this pairing and I wanted it to be something where she_ doesn't_ end up kidnapped or tricked into helping him… Anyhow, please tell me how I did. If I can think of a wayto continue I might depending on the feedback I get.

Criticism welcome as long as they're not flames…


	2. Illusion

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much for the reviews, every one of them was helpful!

Sakura stared into the mirror as empty green orbs watched her. It was hard to decide what she was looking for in what she saw there. There stood a nineteen year old girl with pink hair that had flattened in her sleep, and no smile on her face. Hardly a young genin anymore, a few small training scars graced the jounin-level medic's arms, showing that she could defend herself now.

She turned on the faucet and let the cold water run over her hands before bringing it up to her face. It was refreshing, and cleansed the last ounce of sleep from her countenance. Sakura then ran a brush through her hair and wondered how old Itachi was now. It had never occurred to her to ask for his age. The again, it was not like she ever really saw him.

Itachi was a lie.

That day he let her go was a fluke. Some elaborate mind trick that came back to her even now, years later. Sakura had been only 15—young and impressionable. None of her companions had seen the incident, and the fight likely would have escalated if they had. She had become a younger sister to Naruto and Kakashi, something she was very grateful for.

She opened her closet and grabbed the first outfit she saw. They all looked the same to her anyway, and after one of her experiences with Itachi she never felt like dealing with her wardrobe more than necessary. It was not that she did not enjoy the encounters, she really did. But they just were not real.

Or not real enough, anyway.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled when she walked out of her bedroom. She grinned at him in annoyance like she did everyday and wondered once more why she had given him a key to her apartment. The mug of coffee that the blonde held out to her answered that question, and she accepted it gratefully.

_This _was reality. This was real. This was all something she could believe in while Itachi was just not. The grinning face of Naruto that sat at the table watching her wake up served as a cheerful reminder of that fact. Sakura was in love with the _idea_ of Itachi, but not the feeling she got when he went away.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto noticed the dreamy look in her eyes and looked confused. She quickly shook it off and smiled back at him. It was a fake smile. One of those could hide a thousand feelings behind it, but barely wave off the suspicion. Naruto squinted in thought, and she could tell he suspected something but he would not admit to it just yet.

"So what's the mission today?" Sakura asked as she took another sip of the coffee. It was strong, the way Naruto always made it, and she could feel the energy flowing back into her tired body.

"Just you, Tsunade wants to talk to you," the blonde smiled. "Probably more medical junk."

"Yeah, and that 'medical junk' might save your life again someday," Sakura teased and he shrugged with a smile. "Thanks for the coffee."

"Keeps me from getting beaten up with that monstrous strength so often," Naruto commented, and narrowly avoided a hit from the pink-haired female. He laughed and dashed out of the apartment, leaving her to get herself together and go to pay a visit to Tsunade.

She laughed to herself and rinsed out the now empty coffee mug in the kitchen sink. There was a window above the sink and she caught her reflection in it. 'This is real,' she told herself and moved on. She walked out of her apartment and locked the door behind her.

It was a sunny day outside, and she could see the academy students running around the yard during a break. How long had it been since she and Ino had stood to the side, watching Sasuke sitting alone as he stood on the other side?

_"What do you think he's thinking?" Ino asked her friend innocently. Sakura's cheeks heated up as she watched the boy sit there, staring in front of him emotionlessly. No one would ever approach him—it was as though his aura screamed 'leave me alone' but the girls always found it so mysterious._

_"Maybe he wishes someone would talk to him?" Sakura suggested, as her cheeks remained the same color as her hair._

_"Why don't you go do it?" Ino raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously at her friend. "It was your idea."_

_"I've talked to him before, I don't think he likes me," her spirit faded and she studied the grass underneath her feet. _

_"Fine, I guess that makes it my turn," the blonde said and was already halfway across the yard when Sakura looked up in surprise. It would be several more years before Ino ever admitted what had actually been said between the two._

_"Hi, I'm Yamanaka Ino!" Ino said with a big grin and stood in front of the brooding boy._

_"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, not even glancing at her face._

_"I… I wanted to be your friend," Ino's grin faltered under his reaction. It had been about two years since they had all enrolled in the academy, and he was far from the curious young boy he had once been._

_"Just leave me alone," he said with a slight twinge of hurt in his voice, and he brought his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around them. It was like he was hiding from something._

_"What?" Ino was surprised. _

_"You're annoying," he replied and she was taken aback. This was the boy all of the girls were so curious about, the boy they all saw as so mysterious? No wonder; he wouldn't talk to anyone._

_She gave up, and went back to Sakura. Sasuke looked up slightly and watched her go feeling slightly relieved. Why was he here? His clan had only been wiped out a week ago. It was too soon, and already people were trying to pull him out of his shell. _

_The blonde went over to stand with the pink-haired girl. He recognized her, even though she had started to wear a ribbon in her hair. Something about the blonde just seemed too hard, too rough, and blunt. But that other girl—her name had been Sakura, right?—seemed friendly. Even if she reminded him of that day. That day when he had been here with Itachi, and they met the young girl._

_Sasuke glanced over at the spot, it was in a distant corner of the yard. Ironically, it was empty now. He wondered if the girl cared if his brother had left, never to return, after killing his whole family. He glanced back at the girls, and saw that Sakura was looking over at that same spot._

_Sakura as well, had glanced over at that distant spot when Ino returned confused and fuming. It looked like a lonely place over there. When she made to turn back to Ino, she noticed that Sasuke had been watching her with curious eyes. It was the closest thing to that boy she'd met so long ago she would see for years._

_She smiled at him, and gave him the slightest of nods. He only blinked in return, and froze slowly back into his brooding state._

_"What was that?" Ino wanted to know and Sakura's smile disappeared as she jumped in surprise at the sudden question. _

_"Nothing," Sakura said and Ino dropped it, though she still looked suspicious._

Sakura sighed and walked on. Those days were long gone, and it would never be the same. Naruto was not the pain he used to be in the academy days, she and Ino did not have the rivalry they used to have, and Sasuke had been gone for years. He was not coming back, so she imagined that she could let that childish crush of hers wither and die.

Why couldn't she do that with Itachi?

That question always burned her. It was like Itachi could not wither and die in her mind, he was always there. He haunted her dreams, her mind, her apartment, and in a dim way he haunted the memories of Team 7. It was Itachi's fault that Sasuke was so distant—so obsessed with revenge.

She found herself at the Hokage's office as she surfaced from her thoughts, and waved to Shizune before stepping in. It was quiet, and Tsunade was shifting through missions before people came in demanding them. It was still morning, and it was clear from the cup of green tea on the Hokage's desk that she expected it to be a long day.

"Shishou?" Sakura said and her teacher looked up.

"Good morning Sakura, please have a seat," Tsunade indicated a seat in front of the desk and Sakura gladly took it.

"Naruto said you wanted to see me," Sakura commented, more to fill the silence of the morning than anything else.

"Yes, he wanted a mission so I made him fetch you until I could get something that might interest him," Tsunade smiled.

"But he left before I did… What did you have him do?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at Tsunade, who seemed pleased with herself.

"Gaara-sama requested a technique written out on a scroll that could be taught to their genins, apparently they have trouble with the substitution technique," Tsunade explained. "Naruto believes he is carrying a forbidden scroll that can only be destroyed by a ninja in the Sand. Kakashi is with him in case there's a problem."

"He's going to be upset when he finds out," Sakura laughed.

"Yes, but it keeps him busy and out of my office," Tsunade grinned. "Anyhow, I wanted to show you this."

She tossed a small scroll across the table towards Sakura and the jounin opened it slowly. Tsunade watched her reaction closely, and noted how her eyes widened. Sakura re-read the note slowly before looking up at Tsunade.

"Where did this come from?" Sakura asked.

"The Wind country," the Hokage explained. "We have reason to believe they may have fallen to the Sound, but we can't be sure. That makes this mission very dangerous."

"Why do they want a medic? And why only a two-man team?"

"I don't know, but I believe there are reasons behind this. I think that there's more going on than we think there is," Tsunade sighed. "The specifications lead straight to you. A jounin-level medic with combat experience, and a companion of our choice."

"Who would you send with me?" Sakura wondered.

"Normally, I would send Naruto or Kakashi. But with this mission the risk is too great that it's you that they want. I'll have to send someone who can protect you more," Tsunade looked tired. "I can't believe I'm actually thinking of sending you."

"As far as we know, the Wind country is still our ally," Sakura said. "Until it's proven otherwise, you have no choice but to comply."

"I'm glad you understand," Tsunade seemed relieved. "I want to send an ANBU with you, and then I think you should be alright but there is one more precaution I would like to take."

"And what's that?"

"You'll be disguised as an ANBU for this mission," Tsunade said, and Sakura watched her seriously. "And when you return, that will be your rank."


	3. The Mission

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **Had to switch to the Waterfall country instead of Wind, because of the Hidden Villages.Spoilers up to chapter 308 of the manga.

_For reviewing the second chapter, special thanks to: Miakoda13, my DA buddy; XUchihaSakuraX; SkyBlueSunShine; and Midnight-Miko66. You guys have been great!_

"You'll be disguised as an ANBU for this mission," Tsunade said, and Sakura watched her seriously. "And when you return, that will be your rank."

"Thank you, Shishou," Sakura said gratefully.

"Meet your teammate at the front gates tomorrow morning at five am, you'll depart right away. Your gear will be ready for you at Shizune's desk."

Sakura nodded her understanding and left to take care of things before she would have to leave. Shizune gave her a smile before handing her the gear but said nothing.

She wrote a couple of quick notes to Kakashi and Naruto, explaining that she had a mission and would be gone for a few days. It felt odd not being able to say farewell in person, but until they got back this would have to do. It felt strange to sign them 'good-bye' but she was unsure of what else to say. She stuck them in the door of each one's house and then returned to her own apartment after stopping by Tsunade's office once more. The brief farewell was more emotional than it should have been, but at least it had been done.

She was already feeling lonely by the time she got back to her apartment. It seemed so empty when she walked in through the front door. Sakura took a long, warm bath and then went to bed. The sleep would be needed when she got up for the mission in the morning.

Why had they requested a medic so specifically? And it had led directly to her. Something was clearly fishy about this, and even Tsunade seemed wary of what could happen.

Sakura lay down in her bed and pulled up the covers. She knew that relations with the Wind usually were good, so that had to be honored. If they did not answer this call for aid, and there was no problem it could cause tension. But what if this was a trick, and they would need back up? Sakura did not even want to consider that.

She rolled over and curled up as she pulled the blankets tighter around her. It seemed so much colder tonight, but she could not quite place the reason why. Then it suddenly hit her: Itachi. She had felt him here these past few nights, but not this time.

Sakura bit her lip and tried to push away the thoughts that were coming to her. He was not here the one night that she likely needed the company; the night before she went on a mission that could lead them to war with the Wind country. All because of the Sound.

All because of him.

How could she love the man who had caused all of this? He turned Sasuke into a boy who knew nothing but hate. He turned to the organization of criminals seemingly set on destroying Konoha. He was the reason Sasuke had gone to the sound—to Orochimaru. He was the one who let her go for no reason at all.

"Itachi," she murmured into the empty darkness of her room. "If you're there… If you've ever been there… Should we meet, call me Saku-chan and I'll know it wasn't a lie…"

xXx

Sakura was at the gate at exactly five am and was in the gear Tsunade had given her. She felt groggy from the fitful sleep she had gotten the night before, but was still ready to get going with whatever they were doing. The other ANBU appeared within a minute and Sakura barely looked at their uniform. It would not be until later that she would notice that they were dressed exactly the same, right down to the head covering to keep anyone from noticing unique hair colors.

"Ready?" She asked her companion, and received a nod in response. They took off at a dash for the Waterfall country, and the wind brushing past her felt refreshing somehow. Her partner for this mission was silent, and that was fine by Sakura, but it just felt odd that they were not talking about what they would be doing once they arrived.

It was something Sakura had not wanted to spend a lot of time considering.

The report had said they would be acting as bodyguards, for what they were not told. It was labeled as top secret, and a medic would be needed. This suggested that it was something that another country might consider stealing, which again made it more dangerous.

"We should stop for the night," the other ANBU commented, slowing down slightly. "It's almost night out and at this rate we'll wear ourselves out."

Sakura blinked in surprise and glanced up at the sky, which was purple as the sunset mixed with the coming darkness. The time seemed to have flown as they traveled. She nodded to her partner, and they found a small town nearby to lodge in.

"We only have one room," explained the hotel clerk at the only hotel in the small town.

"Are you serious?" Sakura sighed and the other ANBU just laughed at her.

"We'll take it," the ANBU said and took the keys from the man before heading up to the room. Sakura just shrugged and followed her partner up.

The room was small and had two beds with one bathroom. Sakura took the bed closest to the window and sat down quietly as she watched the people walking past below. There was an alley off to the left, where she could see a few "ladies of the night" watching the passersby for potential customers. Sakura shook her head with a grin when one of them found someone in about five minutes, then turned away form the view.

"Should we get something to eat?" her partner asked and Sakura looked over briefly.

"I'm not really all that hungry," she began to slide her mask off before the other person stopped her.

"Please, leave it on," Sakura stopped at the sudden request. "I don't know who you are. Don't reveal yourself, just in case."

"Alright," Sakura pulled her mask back down and sighed again. "I'll just sleep with it on then."

The other ANBU just shrugged and went out of the room, to find dinner most likely and left Sakura there. She just crawled under the comforter and drifted off to sleep, not realizing just how tired she had been…

_"So he's filling in for me then, is he?...He was spouting some kind of nonsense about protecting bonds between Naruto and me…One more pansy for the group, quite the fit I'm sure," Sasuke had stood above them, speaking so emotionlessly about his old team. Each word seemed to hurt more and more, digging deeply into Sakura and Naruto._

_"I have other bonds that I carry…Fraternal bonds, forged through hate…All my other bonds caused me to lose focus… And weakened my strongest wish. My greatest desire…" He had continued to spout, and then it had all happened so fast. The next thing they knew he was drawing a sword to attack Naruto with._

_He was going to sever that final bond. _

_And there wasn't anything she could do about it._

_They were still too weak. Sasuke had overpowered them easily; he was faster and had more training. They could not do anything against him. She could not do anything against him. Those crimson red eyes had turned so cold…_

"Sasuke-kun!" she bolted upright, covered in sweat. Sakura was panting and made her self calm down. She was still in that hotel room, her mask on and the protective layer for her gear sitting on a bedside table.

"Huh?" her partner sat up partially, tugging the mask down as they turned to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm fine."

In the darkness she saw the other ANBU shake their head and get up out of bed slowly. Sakura began to grab her gear and put it on, feeling strangely like she was putting on battle gear. Well, in a sense, she probably was. Her partner tossed her a box, and she opened it to find a full meal of Chinese take out.

"Thank you," Sakura said in surprise.

"Don't mention it, I don't need you fainting from hunger on the way," they said and she nodded her understanding of the subtle joke.

It was not long before they two headed out and were once again going full speed for the Waterfall country. Again, they went in silence and Sakura found it comforting in a strange way. It was just another mission, even if she was not with Kakashi and Naruto.

xXx

"Thank you for coming so soon!" they were greeted by an older man of about fifty as soon as they arrived, and her showed them to the Kage of their village. It was the hidden village of Waterfall, and where they would be stationed for the time being.

Sakura could not help but admire the village. It was beautiful, and there were at least two visible waterfalls which showed why they chose that name. There were trees all over and they towered over them. The buildings had a fairytale feel about them, and seemed to go around the trees. Whoever had planned this place had put some serious time and effort into it.

"Please, through here," the man led them into a small office and they went in quickly. He shut the door softly behind them and gestured for them to sit in the two chairs in front of a large oak desk. "I suppose you two would like more details about your duties here."

"It would certainly help us do our job," the other ANBU grumbled and Sakura kicked them. The other ANBU stiffened, and she could swear they glared at her through the mask. None of this was noted by the man who had been addressing them; he seemed distracted by something else.

"We've been under attack," the man said bluntly, and the two from Konoha stared at him. The room was quiet, and the thunder of a waterfall could be heard in the background. "Farmers have complained that their cattle have turned up missing. People in the inner-city have seen dark shadows out at unusual hours. Children are missing. Many of our highest- ranking ninja have also vanished. We can't figure out what is going on."

"Sounds like a preview of what could happen," Sakura's partner said.

"Exactly, that's why we requested you two as secretly as possible," the man sighed. "Where are my manners, call me Takashi."

"You can call me…" the other ANBU thought for a moment. "Sunny. And you can call—"

"Kodoku. Call me Kodoku," Sakura answered before her companion could.

"Alright, Sunny and Kodoku," the man got up and walked over to a window. "You'll be staying in my home, so that people are less likely to notice your presence. I would like you to patrol the village in the early am hours, when most of the activity happens."

"Thank you, Takashi-san," Sakura rose to leave, as did 'Sunny' and Takashi gave them brief directions to his house where they would meet him. Until then, they could explore.

The street they walked out onto was deserted and the sun was bright. It was ideal weather, and Sakura wished she could be training with Naruto. It was amazing what she found herself missing. The good old days with team seven; Naruto challenging Sasuke, her cheering for the Sasuke while Naruto tried to get her to look his way. It was all changed now. She trained first-hand with Naruto and admired his growth while they wondered if Sasuke would ever be back.

It was his fault.

Sakura considered the thought for a moment, and though she always blamed Itachi it was not all him. Itachi had caused Sasuke to be filled with hate, which was true. But Orochimaru had teased Sasuke and made him feel weak, and Sasuke had fallen for it. Still Sakura could hate Itachi for doing it… right?

"Hey," Sunny pulled her back and Sakura had to be jarred from her thoughts.

"What?" she sounded annoyed and the ANBU mask stared back at her blankly.

"If we're going to go around town, I think we need to change something," he pointed out and she blinked. Now that it had been mentioned, it seemed obvious that they would be spotted in their current outfits. Sakura rolled her eyes behind the mask and did a quick henge, changing herself into a red-headed twenty year old girl. Sunny made his henge of a blonde man of the same age, though looking like no one Sakura had ever met before.

"Meet at Takashi-san's house in an hour?" Sakura suggested.

"Sure," Sunny nodded and she turned to go but he added something before she could get out of earshot. "Try not to scream for any missing-nin like you did last night."

She whipped around, ready to pound Sunny's face into the ground, but he was already gone.


	4. The Other ANBU

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except this idea.

_Chapter 4: The Other ANBU_

Sakura turned around abruptly, and saw nothing but the people of the Hidden Waterfall village going about their daily routines. She sighed and turned to face forward once more. It was the third time she had sensed a follower but had seen no sign of one. The weariness of traveling must have finally gotten to her.

She bought a small bag of food, and then finally turned to head to where she and her current teammate could be staying. Sakura looked down the crowded street to see a dark figure facing her. She froze and stared back at the stranger, oddly feeling like time had paused. It sent a chill down her spine. As soon as she blinked, the figure was gone.

_What the hell was that?_ She thought, and mentally heard herself mutter a 'beats me' in reply. Something was definitely going on here, and somehow they had been spotted.

She reached the meeting point immediately, and found the other ANBU still in his henge disguise. With a mixture of relief and annoyance, Sakura approached and calmly explained the marketplace incident.

"How can you be sure this was our enemy?" he sounded skeptical.

"My instincts are usually right on target," Sakura insisted. _Too bad they haven't been in other situations_, she mentally added but soon pushed the thought away when Itachi's face flashed in her mind.

"I don't know, I think travel has been hard on you," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she could hear Tsunade's temper creeping into her voice; training with someone for years has that effect on a person.

"N-Nothing," he said quickly.

"Fine, if you don't think it's going to be a problem let's just go," Sakura went into the house they would be staying in and the other ANBU followed quietly. A servant immediately directed them to a large meeting room where the man, Takashi, who had met with them earlier, greeted them and asked them to sit.

"Did you enjoy the time in our village?" he asked nonchalantly. Sunny turned to Sakura, who tried not to have any unnecessary reactions.

"I think I was followed," she said and the man set his jaw as the room went silent.

"Did they follow you here?"

"No, I saw a dark figure, but after that I didn't feel anyone following me," she answered.

"I see," he sat down in a chair heavily and seemed to be lost in thought. Finally, he said something. "Please undo your hinges, I'd like to be looking at your masks when I say this."

The two from Konoha complied, and sat there looking almost like twins. It was then that Sakura noticed just how much she and "Sunny" looked alike when dressed like this. For a man, if he was actually a male and not pretending it by some request from Tsunade, he seemed to be rather small.

"Alright," Takashi began. "We have reason to believe, thanks to research from our allies, that we have been infiltrated by an organization of ninjas. There is only one group we believe is at the hand of this, and it is led by the legendary sannin called Orochimaru."

Sakura felt a chill wash over her, and noticed Sunny turn to her slightly. She barely noticed it as Takashi went on about why they believe Orochimaru was behind it. Sakura was not listening anymore.

Was Sasuke really that close? Again?

She bit her lip behind the mask. There was no chance of beating him without Naruto and Kakashi. There was almost no chance that this ANBU would help her if she tried. But she still pictured that emotionless smile plastered on the face of the boy she thought she loved… and had just stood at the top of that cliff and stared down at them.

"Get a few hours of sleep, then at midnight I'd like you to patrol the area and see if you can solve this mystery for us," Takashi concluded, and a maid showed up to take them to their rooms. "Oh and… Sunny? Was it?" Sakura looked between the two patiently before going with the maid, but Sunny just waved her off. She shrugged and just continued out of the room.

"Yes, sir?" Sunny asked and waited for Takashi to go on. The man waited for the door to shut all the way before saying anything.

"So, are you the medic?" Takashi smiled knowingly as he leaned back in his chair and linked his hands on his lap.

"No, I'm afraid that would be Kodoku," Sunny withheld a snort as he spoke. Really, for her to pick that name was ridiculous. First she cries out Sasuke's name in her sleep, and then she chooses the word for 'Solitude' as her name. It was like telling him who she was with pantomime somehow.

"Well, that's too bad," Takashi sounded disappointed and turned away. Sunny felt a chill go up his spine and drew out several kunai.

"I see they haven't left you completely uneducated since I left…" a voice taunted and came out of the shadows behind Sunny. "… So now, should we see who this is or just take care of business?"

"What do you think you're up to, here?" Sunny frowned from behind his mask, any technique he did would reveal his identity, to this obvious ex-Konoha shinobi. What should he do now? In doubt, he began to gather chakra in case he needed to make a speedy exit.

"Quite simple actually," Takashi smiled, though never facing Sunny. "We're starting a civil war."

"Let me guess, framing someone else for what you're doing?" Sunny sounded sure of him self and turned to the dark figure. "Which leaves only three people that you could be, to my knowledge, and two have just been eliminated unless you planned this out better than I think you did."

"Smarter than he looks," Takashi laughed.

"…Too smart," the darker one was immediately next to the ANBU. Sunny did a series of hand seals, but saw the room go black before he could do anything else.

xXx

Sakura was awakened at midnight by the same maid and soon wished she had purchased some coffee. It had only been two days and she felt like she had been gone for a whole week.

Sunny was standing next the doorway waiting for her, his arm crossed as he stood there with his head tilted impatiently. She felt an odd sensation in her stomach as she drew closer and noticed he was slouching somewhat. Something made Sunny seem taller now.

"Sleep well?" he inquired casually.

"Yes," she said graciously, though something still felt wrong. The maid left them and the pair went off to begin searching the city.

Sakura broke off from Sunny right away and they skimmed opposite sides of the city. Everything seemed quiet and still as it bathed in the moonlight. She stopped and crouched in a dark corner on a rooftop, searching the street once more.

A hand was on her shoulder and she panicked. Whipping out a kunai, she grasped the offending hand but found herself against the wall before long. A familiar ANBU mask stared back at her and she grunted in annoyance.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me like that," she huffed while Sunny merely took a step away and surveyed the area.

"An ANBU should never let their guard down," he retorted and she bit her lip from inside the mask. Maybe she just was not meant to be an ANBU…

"Why call yourself Kodoku?" he was the one to break the silence and she sighed.

"Because…they always leave," she admitted and kept her gaze on the area below them.

"They?"

"Yes, they," Sakura sounded annoyed but it soon faded from her tone. "My older sister… She ran away to be with the man she loved. I always thought it was so romantic, but then I realized that she could not come back. Then Sasuke ran away… And Naruto was gone for training for so long. He's the only one who came back."

"Drama queen," he muttered and she glared through the mask.

"Then there was him," she sighed again. "But I doubt he even counts…"

"Why tell me this?" Sunny wanted to know and she almost laughed.

"Because you're not the 'Sunny' I came here with," she whipped around and aimed a punch at his mid-section. He easily dodged it and jumped down to the street below. She followed easily and charged him once more. He turned to watch her and the hit connected—

--Only for him to disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"Sh—" she could not even get the word out before she found herself forcefully pinned against a building. She gasped in pain as the stranger held her there firmly.

"Tell me, Kodoku-chan," he spoke his words without feeling. "Is this what you expected? On your first ANBU assignment?"

"Who the hell are you?" she said through gritted teeth. The mask remained as unreadable as his voice. He slowly leaned closer and she tried to pull away as she felt the cold mask against her cheek.

"I am the one that you doubted 'even counts', Saku-chan," his voice said and the words hit her like a ton of bricks. A chill washed over her as Uchiha Itachi removed his mask and stared down at her with red eyes. She was frozen, and did nothing when he reached over and pulled off hers as well.

_It was not a lie…_

"It-It can't be…" she continued to stare in surprise at him.

"You've never been the type to believe in fairytales, Sakura, don't start now," he said and held up a kunai. She barely registered the presence of the weapon in his hand; the very sight of him was too much of a shock.

_He said it. He said the nickname you told him to use…_

She cried out when it plunged into her arm, just below her elbow. Sakura knew she was not cut out for the ANBU now, she could not do this. With a trembling hand she gathered chakra and tried to reach the wound. All while he watched her carelessly.

_This was the man who had held you so tenderly at night, there is no other way he would have called you that…_

"Why?" she asked. "All those times… why?"

He still stared down at her with uncaring eyes. She sank down with the pain from her wound; ironically, he touched a sensitive nerve. Sakura continued to push chakra into the injury and finally was able to remove the weapon. Fresh blood poured out, but not as much as before.

_It was not a lie, it was real! Why is this happening?_

"I did it for this moment," Itachi finally spoke. She stared up in surprise as he pulled out a katana; this had to be the end.

What really shocked her was the way he grabbed her roughly and then suddenly stopped the abrupt action. It was like he was unsure of what to do with her now; she could not read the look in his eyes. Then he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened as the sweet feeling sank in and he released her. Confused and disoriented, the last thing she saw was the blunt side of the sword coming towards the side of her head.

_It was not a lie…_

_-------_

**A/N:** Yeah, that last part was confusing and may seem out of character. Hopefully as things move along it will be explained better!


	5. Lies

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, or Sakura, or Itachi…

_Chapter 5: Lies_

_Then he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened as the sweet feeling sank in and he released her. Confused and disoriented, the last thing she saw was the blunt side of the sword coming towards the side of her head._

_It was not a lie…_

She woke up with a gasp, and slowly took in all of her surroundings. Sakura drew the sheets closer around her as the room came into focus and a nasty headache set in. Why was she back in Takashi's mansion? A dull thud in her head made her lay back down and groan with pain. What had happened last night? Was this just an illusion?

"Kodoku-san?" a maid called and Sakura scrambled for her mask, finding that it was on her bedside stand right where it should be.

"Yes?" Sakura replied as the maid entered, the mask hiding her face just in time.

"It's late in the day, Takashi-sama would like you to come out and eat after your ordeal."

"Thank you," Sakura replied and stumbled out of bed, trying not to be surprised when the maid held up a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. Something was very suspicious here.

She was taken to the same room as where they had met up before, and found Takashi in the same seat. There were place settings for him and two more at the table, Sakura was guided to one of them. She could not help but notice that the other place setting had already been used.

"Sunny told me about your misadventure last night," Takashi began. "I'm terribly sorry about that."

"How did Sunny know?" Sakura questioned him. "An where is he now?"

"He came to me late last night, saying that he had been attacked and now a fake was with you parading around as him. We found you passed out on a nearby rooftop."

"And Sunny is…?"

-x-X-x-

Shikamaru grunted as they threw him down in a dark cell. He saw the glint of a blonde's smirk before they closed the door and locked him in. He had already seen their trademark red and black cloaks, the various appearances of their twisted faces and the most well known of them had been the one to do the capturing. Just seeing Uchiha Itachi had made everything clear to him.

This was all too troublesome.

Now what about Kodoku? She was alone and undercover, and might not even notice that he had been traded out by some Akatsuki member. She was a medic, hopefully she could fight too since she was in the ANBU outfit. A medic… so it had to be Sakura.

Shikamaru frowned as he continued to think through the situation. He was basically helpless now; as his hands were bound behind his back with something in between them to prevent any hand seals from being made. Hopefully Sakura was no longer the easy-to-convince girl she had seemed like all those years ago. He could only hope she would see through the lies and be able to get out of this mess.

He almost laughed when he though about their nicknames, apparently 'Kodoku' was the right choice for her. Although his new circumstances were anything but 'Sunny.'

-x-X-x-

"Sunny is on his way back to Konoha, you can be sure that he will inform the Hokage of these new developments," Takashi sighed heavily. "Thankfully he saw his attacker, or we would never have known that the Sound was behind all of this."

Sakura's head jerked up and she stared at the older man. He could not really think that this was because of the Sound? It was Akatsuki! Takashi seemed to be surprised by this reaction, and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"It could not have been the Sound," Sakura stated. "I saw Uchiha Itachi."

"You must be mistaken," Takashi said plainly. "It must have been Uchiha Sasuke, I hear they look quite a bit alike nowadays."

"I know Sasuke, and this was not Sasuke," Sakura frowned. Sasuke would never call me 'Saku-chan,' or kiss me for that matter…

"You must have had a hard night. If you can understand, we will be keeping you in the mansion for the next few days to be sure you are all right," Takashi sounded like he was faking sympathy, and Sakura felt a strong feeling of disgust.

Without a word, she rose to return to her room and no one said anything to stop her. The maid did not even guide her back to the room, Sakura found the path on her own. Daylight was pouring in through the window next to the bed and she found herself staring out the window in thought.

This was wrong. She had definitely seen Itachi, yet Takashi believed that it was really the Sound behind it all. Was he trying to get the war started? He did not seem like the kind of man she could trust, especially not now. She found herself wishing that Sunny was here for her to talk the mission over with.

Wait a minute… Sunny…

He would not go back to Konoha without telling her first, or maybe even asking her to go with him. Tsunade would not have sent anyone that would not extend that courtesy. Yet Takashi was claiming that Sunny had just left, which likely meant he had something to do with the disappearance.

She had to get out of here; now.

Sakura quickly gathered her things and blocked the door as quietly as possible. The window opened easily and she made her exit.

-x-X-x-

"I thought we were supposed to bring the medic with us?" Kisame wondered as he and Itachi went on towards a nearby country.

"Complications arose," was all Itachi would say to explain himself. Kisame noted the look in his comrades eyes and let the subject drop. It was unlike Itachi to leave someone that had seen him, much less leave them alive. There was something unique about this girl that got to him somehow.

Itachi knew Kisame suspected something, but would not admit to anything. That girl, Sakura… Why had they chosen to ask the medic to come? Jounin level medic; they explained the choice as being someone hard to deceive and so most likely to be believed. Itachi had never liked the idea, besides that jinchuuriki brat was easier to fool and would be so loud that no one would get away with not listening.

Why did they ask him to get Sakura? If anything had gone wrong, he certainly could have made her forget it all and send her sanity down the drain with a single use of the Mangekyou. Unfortunately, no one had anticipated one thing.

She was cute; even more so when she was scared.

And she had even started crying. It was so pathetic that he had to stop and watch for just a moment. It was unlike him to find such a display amusing, but then again this was Haruno Sakura. Somehow, it had reminded him of a younger Sasuke, the younger boy who had come home from shuriken practice to a house full of dead bodies and been sick because of it.

Both displays had been pathetic to the point of making Itachi stop what he was doing and change his plans on a whim. It did not help that he had been keeping track of the girl since their chance meeting in the woods while she was on a mission. Again, a time when she had been let go on a whim of his.

It also did not help that kissing her had been so… sweet. She had tasted of cherries and vanilla, an oddly satisfying flavor. He had known he wanted to kiss that girl, a curse he blamed on the times before he had these eyes. Somehow, the eyes hidden beneath still saw what he wanted back then.

That pink-haired girl, who had smiled at him and his brother so innocently that day.

So he had lived her lie. Hidden the truth of what he wanted from her-- the truth of what he was; a dream. He spent those few nights feeling the soft swell of her body under his arm. Those few times breathing in her sweet, succulent scent had given him a high that he had never known existed.

He had been her dream and haunted her in a way that even he could not explain.

It was only the feeling of her he needed, he could not bring himself to try and taint the innocence she radiated in her sleep. It was a cycle that could not be broken, and had lasted far to long.

Itachi would be lying to himself if he tried to say that he did not care what happened to the pink-haired medic.

-x-X-x-

"Takashi-sama!" a maid burst into the room where he had been sitting and reading. She panted with a mixture of excitement and worry as he looked at her, wanting an explanation for this interruption. "The medical ANBU… She's gone!"

He jumped up and ran to the room she had been staying in and found that everything she had kept with her was now gone. Takashi went over to the window and saw where she had cushioned her landing with chakra. It was becoming obvious that things were not going according to plan. How were they going to start a war and blame it on the Sound when she believed it was Akatsuki?

"Take me to where they locked up that boy," he told the maid and she nodded as she led him out of the room.

-x-X-x-

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura slammed open the door when she got back to Konoha, making it there in record time. The Hokage looked up at her with a glare but at the same time seemed happy to see her back.

"I'm busy--"

"Akatsuki has taken over the Waterfall country and is trying to frame the Sound for it!" Sakura yelled, causing Tsunade to look up with wide eyes.

"Sakura-chan? Did you come straight here?" a familiar voice asked and she looked over to see Naruto and Kakashi staring at her with surprise.

"Yes," Sakura felt the fatigue slowly hitting her, as the adrenaline had worn off. "And the other ANBU… He is missing, I think he's been kidnapped…"

"This is bad," Tsunade frowned. "But there's another problem. He supposedly already returned and claimed that it was the Sound and that you would return a few days from now."

"What!" Sakura gasped. So they had sent someone in Sunny's place.

"There are a few things you can do to prove yourself," Tsunade explained. "Tell me something a stranger would not know about Naruto or Kakashi."

"Well, Naruto… He has a key to my apartment and is always way too happy and bright in the mornings, but he always has coffee so it's okay."

"I got sick of being punched for being between her and the coffee pot…" Naruto frowned and Sakura smiled at him.

"Alright, I believe you," Tsunade smiled weakly. "Most of these high-level copycats forget the minor details that reveal themselves. The Shikamaru we have here couldn't tell us Chouji's birthday."

"So what are we going to do now?" Kakashi wanted to know.

"I'll send out messengers about this news to our allies, even if they were over thrown like the Waterfall country I'd like them to know we have knowledge of the takeover."

"Why would Akatsuki do this?" Sakura wondered.

"They're after jinchuuriki, a war would bring them out to either defend their villages or help tear them down," Naruto said with a sad expression.

"Naruto…" Sakura felt sorry for him, but Tsunade spoke up again before anyone could say anything else.

"Sakura, go home. You've had enough for now. Naruto, please escort her while Kakashi and I decide what to do," Tsunade said. "Oh and Sakura?"

The two younger ninjas stopped and waited for her to continue. "Sakura, how do you know it was Akatsuki?"

"Because I saw Uchiha Itachi," she answered and they left.

Tsunade and Kakashi were silent while the two left. Kakashi finally broke the silence with just one question.

"Why would Itachi let her go if she saw him?" he wondered.

"I think there's more to this story than meets the eye," Tsunade said with a sigh.

-x-X-x-

"Sakura, are you okay?" Naruto asked her with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," she said, but looked very tired as they went.

"I could stay for awhile to be sure everything's alright," Naruto offered.

"No, that's--" she stopped herself before she answered, and thought it over for a moment. "Actually that would be really nice, thank you."

"Wow, it must have been a rough time if you'll let me stay," Naruto teased.

"Yeah, it was," Sakura sighed and unlocked her apartment as they arrived. Naruto immediately headed for the kitchen and made her some coffee, having some kind of sixth sense that told him she needed it. She was grateful for the warm brew when he was done, and the company was also a pleasant addition to the norm.

"So you really saw Itachi again?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Yes…" Sakura trailed off, thinking about that kiss. Naruto watched her dreamy expression and laughed, which brought her back to reality.

"I knew it, that's why he left you alone when you saw him," Naruto was grinning madly.

"What?" Sakura was surprised, he could not know what she had been thinking. He could not know what Itachi had done to her…

"That look you had on your face, there's something between you two. I bet you liked him because he reminds you of Sasuke, and he likes you because… well, you're pretty…" Naruto flushed slightly as he tried to think of Itachi's reasons for liking Sakura.

"He's been haunting me since that time we went to rescue Gaara, I don't know why he would let me go," Sakura admitted. "Please don't tell Tsunade-sama or Kakashi-sensei."

"Don't worry," Naruto was still smiling. "Just be careful, the guy is dangerous."

"Thanks, Naruto," Sakura smiled at him.

-x-X-x-

"So this is the next town we get to mess with?" Kisame smiled evilly in the growing darkness.

"Yes… Try to avoid the cattle mutilation this time, that was an odd touch," Itachi said.

"Try to avoid letting the witness go this time, Itachi," Kisame retorted and took off before Itachi had an outburst.

Witness. Was that all Sakura was? He was sick of this pointless war set-up, maybe if just one person knew what was really happening it could just happen already. Itachi had grown sick of this careful staging process, all so that the jinchuuriki would appear and they could finally catch all nine.

Still, now Sakura had been pulled into this mess. Why did that seem so wrong to him? She was just a dim memory of a time when he was more innocent. Yet he still felt a need to go back and wrap an arm around her soft, delicate flesh once more.

**---------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note: **Ever been writing a chapter and suddenly feel like it's getting too long but there's so much more you want to add? Yeah, I'm having that problem…

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MIAKODA13!**


	6. Hello, I am your mind

**Disclaimer: **I own absolutely nothing… yet!

**Author's Note: **Ok I've got to share how weird this was… I just re-read chapter 5 and I swear it did not sound like me at all! Weird!

_Chapter 6: Hello, I am your mind…_

_Witness. Was that all Sakura was? He was sick of this pointless war set-up, maybe if just one person knew what was really happening it could just happen already. Itachi had grown sick of this careful staging process, all so that the jinchuuriki would appear and they could finally catch all nine._

_Still, now Sakura had been pulled into this mess. Why did that seem so wrong to him? She was just a dim memory of a time when he was more innocent. Yet he still felt a need to go back and wrap an arm around her soft, delicate flesh once more._

-x-X-x-

Sakura rolled over fitfully once more, sleep still creatively evading her as she tried to push it all away in her sleep. It would be an understatement to say she was worried about Sunny, who was apparently Shikamaru. If Itachi had let her go, what was he doing to Shikamaru? Why? Why? _Why?_

The curtains shuddered, and she cracked her eyes open ever so slightly. It seemed that the room was empty, but Sakura could not shake the feeling of being watched.

She groaned softly and buried her face deeper into her pillow, feeling the sleepy feeling deep in her throat continue to elude her. Sakura heard another sound and ignored it, letting sleep slowly attempt to win the battle over her senses. The breeze jostled the curtains once more, and Sakura sighed deeply. Naruto had left a couple of hours ago, since he had a life and things to do as well. If anyone would have any luck finding Shikamaru, it would be Kakashi and Naruto.

The bed creaked from a weight that was not her own.

Sakura whipped around, a kunai in hand, and her wrist was caught in mid-flight by none other than Uchiha Itachi.

"Another midnight visit?" she spoke scathingly.

"You're fully awake this time, I expected you to be exhausted after running away," Itachi said simply. Sakura's eyes hardened and she tried to pull her arm away, but he only held on tighter.

"Where's Shikamaru?" she wanted to know.

"He knew too much, we had to detain him for the time being," he explained it as though he were telling her how to do a basic algebra problem. It was insulting.

"You're sick."

"And you're weak, even as a medic," he retorted, but soon scowled when she focused the chakra into the spot on her arm he was holding, causing it to heat up and burn him. Itachi let go quickly.

"Why bother with the Waterfall country? You're strong enough to go after those jinchuuriki anyway…" Sakura kept glaring at him, and gripped the kunai tightly. If she were to try again, he would catch her again. Until she had an opening she would have to be content to even have a weapon.

"Ha, the jinchuriki?" Itachi's emotionless laugh sounded hollow, and he looked to the side. "We have others who take care of that. What I have been told to do is find a new place to take command. We are tired of sitting in the darkness, we are looking to claim our own country. If it takes a war to start it, so be it."

Sakura gave him a confused look, and her grip on the kunai even loosened up. He turned back at her, and though he faced her it felt like he was staring straight through her. Itachi's red eyes were so piercing, and she found herself wondering why he never deactivated his sharingan.

"It's because I can't," he answered, reading her mind. "Once you reach this point, there is no longer any turning back."

"…Why?" Sakura finally said, though it was little more than a whisper.

"Why?" he raised an eyebrow at her softly. She flinched when his hand reached up and pushed a stray pink lock behind her ear. "Why do I tell you these things… Well there's the simple reason; no one will believe you. You'd have no evidence to back up your claim."

"And?" she frowned slightly, both knowing and hating that he was right.

"Because, to some degree, you still think I'm just a dream…" Itachi leaned forward and let his lips brush hers. It was not even a kiss, just a lingering tease when breaths intertwined and scents mingled.

"What do you get out of this…" she mumbled, the spell slowly overpowering her senses. Itachi said nothing, he just studied the tranquil yearning etched into her features. He drew her closer and turned the tease into a kiss and felt her body tremble.

Soon after, he left her once more to find the truth in this night of lies.

-x-X-x-

"Thank you for this, Asuma, Chouji, and Ino," Tsunade said, the sound of a person being dragged coming into the office from the hallway. The three looked grim, yet determined. They had been able to trick Shikamaru's stunt double into a drinking contest-- something that was easily faked by making a deal with the owner of Chouji's favorite barbeque restaurant's staff. As it turned out, the double was little more than a Waterfall Chuunin. Somehow, Akatsuki's role here was terribly warped.

"Kakashi and Naruto already have a head start, correct?" Asuma asked the Hokage.

"Yes, I had them set out early this morning," Tsunade rested her chin on her hands. "I'm assuming you would like to join them?"

"Ye--" Asuma and Chouji began.

"I need to talk to Sakura first," Ino said. Tsunade nodded and the three left the office. Ino walked ahead of her remaining team. They knew her temper well, with any luck Sakura would be prepared for it.

Sure enough, Ino's knocking was met by a very tired Sakura who was still in her pajamas. The blonde rolled her eyes and pushed in past the medic, not saying a word until they were both sitting in Sakura's living room.

"So, you came back without finding what had happened to your teammate?" Ino raised an eyebrow at her old friend.

"No, I ran away before I ended up in the same spot as him," Sakura rubbed her eyes. There were clear purple spots showing her lack of rest.

"Any idea where he is?" Ino crossed her arms. Shikamaru had become something of her best friend, even if they did not have the bond he held with Chouji. She found it-- for lack of a better term-- troublesome that anyone would leave him stranded without a clue where he was.

"He's still in the Waterfall's hidden village," Sakura said calmly. "Probably in Takashi's mansion since that guy seems to be in the midst of whatever is going on."

Ino was surprised to say the least. How did Sakura know this? She had clearly not looked around much, as she had returned before anyone could have said "Akatsuki." Sakura's appearance of being so tired multiplied the effect.

"How do you know that?" Ino wanted to know.

"Why do I feel like I'm being interrogated?" Sakura shot a glare at the blonde who immediately fell into apologetic mode.

"Sorry… Habit. I tend to do this to avoid having to use my techniques," Ino apologized.

"Right… I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you," Sakura sighed.

"Ha, try me," Ino smirked. The expression faded quickly when Sakura explained the story. "You're… You're kidding…"

"I guess I have this for proof," Sakura grabbed the sleeve of her robe and rolled it up, revealing a clear handprint-shaped bruise.

"Sakura-chan… Why would he let you go? Three times now," Ino shook her head in disbelief.

"That's what I can't seem to be sure of," Sakura said and rolled down her sleeve.

----

A/N: Yeah, short but I wanted to throw something out there since it's been awhile. Hope you enjoyed! And I wanted to bring Ino in a little bit, because I love her lol.


	7. Tenebrous

**Disclaimer: **Guess what? I still don't own Naruto!

**Author's Note: **I played with the timing of the series… I think you'll forgive me…Also, I'm working on a 17,000 word story for a scholarship so almost all of my future updates will be delayed, sorry!

_Chapter 7: Tenebrous_

"_I guess I have this for proof," Sakura grabbed the sleeve of her robe and rolled it up, revealing a clear handprint-shaped bruise._

"_Sakura-chan… Why would he let you go? Three times now," Ino shook her head in disbelief._

"_That's what I can't seem to be sure of," Sakura said and rolled down her sleeve._

_-x-X-x-_

Itachi returned to the already decided meeting place with daylight crawling down upon them and Kisame standing there, annoyance radiating from him. Itachi said nothing, acting as though he had no idea what would be bothering his comrade. A low, feral growl came from the taller man and Itachi raised his eyes to glare at him.

"You did _that _again," was all Kisame said. Itachi did not make a reply. He did not get it, Itachi himself did not understand it; did anyone?

_Meanwhile…_

Sakura waved off her old friend as they headed out of the village, on a mission to find Shikamaru. Ino's words still seemed to ring in her ears: "It's hard to fall for a lie, to some extent he must be real."

If only Ino knew what she was saying. The blonde hair suited Ino, though Sakura would never admit that to her. She turned back into the village and just walked, letting her feet carry her to wherever they wished to be. Oddly enough, she soon found herself in front of the Ichiraku. She smiled weakly, hoping that Naruto and Kakashi were doing well.

And that Shikamaru would be alright. She felt guilty that he had been captured, there was no reason for that to have happened to him. But it made sense, they must have wanted her. The medic, the one who would be able to sound convincing when she claimed it was the Sound and not Akatsuki. Somehow, it did not fit.

XXX

"Why bother with this?" Shikamaru glared at the Akatsuki member known as Deidara when he set down a bowl of food for the Konoha shinobi. "I know there's chakra suppressant in the food, I know I'm out of usable chakra by now, why keep the bindings on?"

"You look annoyed most of the time, yeah?" Deidara commented and left the cell, locking the door behind him. Oh how Shikamaru wished that man would have a blond moment and just once forget to lock it. There had been one time where it had almost happened, but Shikamaru had been sorely disappointed.

If nothing else, he was able to spend his time here to think of what the Akatsuki might be trying to do. His ideas were rarely pretty ones. One, they wanted to frame the Sound to start a war and draw out the Jinchuuriki. Why bother, they were already strong enough to handle those on their own without wasting members on other aspects like fighting various countries. Now, forming a country as a base of operations and slowly taking out the allies as well? Possible, but again it seemed like a waste of time. If they were after power that would certainly be the best route.

Although no matter what, he was never able to think of why…

The sound of an explosion stopped his trail of thought. Shikamaru looked around suddenly when he heard yelling. It was an insane hope, but he could have sworn he just heard the distinct call of Konoha's loudest ninja… There was no way…

The blond called Deidara went flying backwards, landing in front of Shikamaru's door. His eyes widened in surprise when the familiar face of Naruto peered in through the bars of his door.

Shikamaru caught himself smiling for the first time in days…

_A little later…_

"Naruto-kun!" a male voice yelled as Naruto and Kakashi were leaving the compound where they had discovered Shikamaru. It had indeed been in the Waterfall country, but harder to find than they had anticipated it to be.

"What?" Naruto looked confused as the group went, rather slowly considering that Shikamaru was leaning on Naruto the whole way.

"I know that voice…" Shikamaru looked up drowsily and Naruto paused to let his friend stand. Kakashi came up and stood behind them, looking forward with little interest.

"Shikamaru! You lazy ass! Where the hell have you been?" a female voice yelled, sounding very close.

"I definitely know those voices," Shikamaru sighed but had a knowing smile on his face. Soon, Asuma, Chouji and Ino appeared in front of the small group.

"Shikamaru!" Chouji said happily and smiled at his best friend. Shikamaru was about to say something, but then Ino grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face her.

"Are you alright? What did they do to you? How did you get captured--"Ino fired questions at him until everyone in the vicinity was staring at her in surprise. Shikamaru just stood there and smirked at her before slowly raising a hand to cover her mouth.

"You're troublesome…" he said and her eyes changed.

"Again," Chouji laughed as Ino let out a small squeal and threw her arms around her teammate. Shikamaru managed to balance under the extra weight and hugged her back, knowing full well everyone was just staring at them. It was not like he could help it, Ino tended to be a little too caring when she was worried about someone.

XXX

"There's no way this will work," Kisame cursed under his breath as he and Itachi sat near each other on hill tops.

"It's orders…" Itachi assumed the position. This was a technique they had used time and time again to create realistic replicas that would fight in their place; this time it was being used to create even more chaos in a neighboring country.

"Would that snake even do something like this?" Kisame muttered, his complaints easily not through yet.

"I do not know, nor do I care…" Itachi closed his eyes and they started once Kisame finally silenced. The hidden village would be painted red tonight, and phase two of the plan would begin.

Blaming it all on the Sound. They had been so harsh towards Orochimaru when he left the Akatsuki, and yet never outright causing trouble. But now he had simply asked for it; when the whole organization was willing to help plot revenge, one knew it was a necessary mission.

Itachi just wished it had not involved Konoha, the one town he would rather have no contact with. There were multiple reasons, but none so pressing now as her.

A drug. A need. A craving. A crush. An addiction. An overwhelming desire for just her touch; to breathe her scent and know the rhythm of her heartbeat.

He shook the thoughts away and did his job.

XXX

_"Why are there so many people?" Sasuke had asked on his first day of school when Itachi walked him there. The older boy just stared at the overly joyous children whom were running around the room. Iruka was at the front, smiling at the children's antics but still seeming concerned for the year ahead._

_"Because there are many who want to learn, just like you," Itachi answered, looking down at his brother. The boy looked so small, even though he smiled weakly and seemed to have a flame burning inside. He would do well, but it seemed that the full room intimidated him._

_"Wow! That's Uchiha Itachi!" a child had said from the side of the room and pointed out the brothers to his friend. Itachi's face hardened, this was a common thing for him. Sasuke had frowned immediately on hearing the remark, then looked up at his brother._

_"I'm going to get a seat, Nii-san," Sasuke said plainly. "Thanks for walking me."_

_Itachi flicked the boy's forehead, muttering 'ignore them' before he walked out the door. Sasuke had taken a seat in the middle and to the side, unwittingly sitting next to the rumored nine-tails carrier. Itachi glanced back at his brother only once, and saw that same girl with the rosy hair. _

_Her sea green eyes only looked his way once, but for the briefest moment he was entranced. _

_He turned away brusquely, cutting away any thought of the younger girl. He knew the type, she would barely make it to genin much less Chuunin. All they did was drool over the class heart-throb, study all day and act like they knew anything about being a ninja._

_Itachi would change his mind about Haruno Sakura soon enough._

XXX

Sakura sneezed suddenly as she was paying the cashier at the Ichiraku, but assumed it only meant she was catching a cold. She checked the time and decided it was probably due time to check in with Tsunade and Shizune, after all, it seemed to be quite the mess that was coming down on them.

No one really knew what was happening, that was the problem.

Sakura felt relatively guilty, like it was her fault. When in reality, it was because of her that they had not fallen into the trap of Akatsuki. It was also thanks to her that they had uncovered the false Shikamaru and sent a team after the lazy genius when they did.

Still, it would soothe Sakura's nerves to be able to help with the interrogation of the fake 'Sunny'.

Shizune had taken her straight to where Tsunade was already attempting to question the man. Sakura entered from behind the man and caught the annoyed look her teacher sent her-- it meant he was not talking. Sakura walked around him to stand with Tsunade, and she gasped slightly when she saw him.

"What is it?" Tsunade wanted to know.

"That's Takashi-san…" Sakura said with wide eyes.


	8. Jaded

**Disclaimer:** I have a Neji plushie, that's all...

**Author's Note: **Yeah, I update slow. Expect it to get slower, I'm a college student now. Sorry guys!

**Chapter 8: Jaded**

_Shizune had taken her straight to where Tsunade was already attempting to question the man. Sakura entered from behind the man and caught the annoyed look her teacher sent her-- it meant he was not talking. Sakura walked around him to stand with Tsunade, and she gasped slightly when she saw him._

"_What is it?" Tsunade wanted to know._

"_That's Takashi-san…" Sakura said with wide eyes._

"Do I know you?" Takashi looked up at the pink-haired girl with wide eyes.

"You assigned my partner and I a mission in your country," Sakura was puzzled by his clueless expression. "You really don't remember?"

"I can honestly say I would easily remember your pink hair from anywhere…" he stared at her, making a shiver run down her spine. "I've never seen you before."

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged suspicious glances when Sakura turned to look at them. She glanced back at Takashi and narrowed her eyes at him, knowing this wasn't the man she and Sunny had met when they received their mission.

-x-X-x-

"What do you mean they didn't kidnap the medic?" the man disguised as Takashi growled from the Waterfall throne.

"I mean… Our resources say Uchiha had plenty of chances… But she got back to Konoha untouched," Tobi answered slowly, his partner Deidara biting his tongue to allow the newbie a fair chance to prove his worth.

The fake Takashi rose from the throne and walked down to where Tobi stood, the two before him stood rooted to the spot as he moved. Tobi slowly started shaking as the Akatsuki leader advanced on him, stopping only inches from his face.

"Well then, Tobi," he purred icily, "I suggest you and your 'resources' get Itachi and bring him to be as soon as possible."

-x-X-x-

Sakura and Shizune waited in the Hokage's office while Tsunade locked up Takashi, just in case he was lying about the whole thing.

"How did all of this happen?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"It's war, it always happens," Shizune smiled at Sakura, "but sometimes, it's the best chance to prove what you're worth. This is why people like us exist."

"To kill the bad guys?"

"No, to heal and bring peace."

Sakura fell silent, wondering if that was really possible or if some wounds were too deep to heal.

Just then, the door slammed open and the two looked up. A very worn out Shikamaru shoved in, dropping an ANBU mask as Ino, Asuma, Kakashi and Naruto followed him inside.

"Kodoku-chan, we have problems…" he muttered before collapsing.

-x-X-x-

Kisame and Itachi had made a brief stop to refresh before carrying out more Akatsuki business. Itachi had prepared a small fire and waited for Kisame to return with fish caught from the river they had stopped by. He knew better than to wonder why his partner returned completely soaked with arms full of fish. Kisame was the only person he knew to be able to catch fish by swimming with them.

"Where did you learn that?" Itachi wanted to know. Kisame looked surprised by the question as he dropped the fish, keeping only two to cook over the flames.

"Since when have you been the chatty type?" Kisame countered, only to be answered by silence. He grunted and sat down on the other side of the fire. "My parents taught me."

Itachi let the silence following Kisame's answer sink in. They had that much in common, both were orphaned--by their own doing. The difference with Kisame was that in his clan it was expected that you killed your parents. Kill or be killed, the way of the sharks.

"While we're having a heart to heart," Kisame cut in softly, "what makes you obsess over pinky?"

Itachi was silent for so long that Kisame was sure he would not reply. The fish had been cooked completely, and Kisame had halfway finished eating his first before Itachi's silent answer was heard over the roaring fire.

"She's just like my mother."

-x-X-x-

_"Can't it wait just one day?" Mikoto begged her husband, thinking it was worth a try even though the man would never budge. _

_"You know how these things are, I must go," he answered, never even looking at her._

_"It's Sasuke's birthday. He's your son, it's the least you can do to spend this day with him," she countered. It seemed like they argued more and more lately, Itachi pretended not to notice even though his bedroom was next door and the walls were thin. _

_"I can make it up to him."_

_"Like you did for Itachi's last birthday?" Mikoto's words burned even her eldest son in the next room. "This _will_ hurt him, just like it did Itachi. Sasuke's just a boy."_

_"I can't disobey orders," he replied, more softly now._

_"You've already lost Itachi, do you want to lose Sasuke too?" Mikoto pleaded._

_Itachi put a pillow around his head and rolled over, knowing better than to hope his father cared equally for both of his sons._

-x-X-x-

Sakura had gone to inform Tsunade of Shikamaru's return while Shizune had escorted him to the hospital for a check-up. She knocked and peeked into his room, seeing Asuma sitting next to the open window and flicking the ashes from his cigarette on the edge. Chouji and Ino were sitting in the chairs next to Shikamaru's bed, Ino leaning over the sheets and stroking her teammate's loose hair.

The medic felt a slight pang in her chest as she watched her best friend and Shikamaru interact. While she did know the worry that came with an injured teammate, this was more. It was deeper. Ino's eyes had never before seemed so clear, pure, and open. Shikamaru was recovering from chakra deficiency, but even through his hooded eyes Sakura could see him meeting Ino's gaze.

Many years ago, Sakura had excitedly told Ino about a time when Sasuke had agreed to meet her to show her new shuriken techniques. The blonde had arrived a good half hour before Sakura, just to show her up and sneak in a bit of training. By the time Sakura had arrived, Sasuke was holding Ino from behind as he guided her through a drill.

Ino's eyes had been filled with joy, and a touch of lust while Sakura's burned green with envy.

It was different now. Ino didn't care who saw it, and the feelings in her eyes held more honesty. Sakura wasn't envious, she only hurt for what she couldn't have.

-x-X-x-

"Hokage-sama," Takashi said as Tsunade was about to leave. She paused and glanced over her shoulder at him, waiting for him to go on. "I'm… I'm sorry this has happened. We shouldn't have let this happen, and I hate to say I don't know how it did."

"Thank you , but I don't think any of us really know what's happening," she commented and left without another word.

-x-X-x-

She walked into Shikamaru's room silently, hoping not to disturb him or his teammates as she checked the monitors.

"Low chakra, right?" she turned to see Shikamaru watching her.

"Yeah, but you're doing much better," Sakura held up the print out. "It's nearly doubled since you came in."

"Thank God," Ino smiled and squeezed Shikamaru's hand. Sakura couldn't help but smile back at her friend.

"So the mission… I'm guessing there's more to it than initially spelled out?" Shikamaru wanted to know.

"Yes… There's… A lot going on," Sakura answered and excused herself.

"Sakura," Shikamaru stopped her and she paused by the door. "He'll come back, you know that right?"

"I do…" she murmured and left, wondering how Shikamaru was able to read people so easily.

**----------**

**A/N:** I'm running incredibly low on ideas, so by all means HELP please!!!


	9. Dreams

**Disclaimer: **I get no money from this because I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **Ever get a random idea that's too good to not write down? Well here you go….

_Chapter 9: Dreams_

_"Sakura," Shikamaru stopped her and she paused by the door. "He'll come back, you know that right?"_

_"I do…" she murmured and left, wondering how Shikamaru was able to read people so easily._

-x-X-x-

She felt the arm again, as she squirmed between sleep and wakefulness Sakura knew he was back. Warmth pressed against her, from her shoulders to her knees. A chin curled around her shoulder, hot breath teasing her skin.

"Why…?"

"We've been through this before," the arm tightened against her hip and turned her onto her back. The face of Itachi loomed over her, and she found herself extremely aware that his arms were on either side of her. Sakura felt caged, she itched for him to let her go.

She itched for him to not make it seem so…sexy.

"No, not this." She glared at him. "You confess these overdone, exaggerated plans to me. You hurt me. You hurt the people I care about. You represent everything I hate. Yet you're still here."

"There's more to it than that," he murmured and she could have sworn he sank lower, their faces inching closer. She wished the pillow would let her sink deeper into it, just to get away.

"Right, I forgot to mention the whole 'I-killed-my-whole-family-except-Sasuke' complex," she retorted, and watched in awe as a dark look passed over his countenance. For that moment, he looked just like Sasuke when they would train together and she corrected a small detail he'd overlooked.

"You don't even know the half of it," he finally closed the distance between them, only for Sakura to hold a hand up to his mouth. It was the only thing separating them and he glared impatiently.

"Try me…" she chose to play along, adding a sultry note to her voice. "Why are you here?"

He pulled back slightly, another flash of emotion dashing across his face. She waited for him to respond, finding his discomfort oddly entrancing.

"…Even as a bud, you were still the prettiest flower," he admitted, avoiding her eyes. She could hardly believe an Uchiha--and Itachi at that--had spouted something so…delicate. "You've been the only kunoichi worth keeping an eye on. That's all I can really think of to explain it."

Sakura did not really know what to think, a heartfelt confession had been the last thing she was expecting. A wicked laugh and admission to sadism and how she was so much weaker than him, followed by a clash of blades and jutsus? That would have been more likely.

But then why did this seem so…_normal?_

Sakura was a medical ninja. Her test scores had always been above average, second in her class only to the exceptionally intelligent Shikamaru Nara. She was rational.

Except on these nights, these completely unexplainable nights.

The enemy of the man she had always claimed to love showed her more kindness than any other ever had. Everything she believed in and fought for slowly floated out the window whenever he touched her. Her feelings morphed, warping whatever love she felt into something unrecognizable.

Then he would look at her, and for the briefest moment he would feel something. In that moment, he wasn't Uchiha Itachi and she wasn't Haruno Sakura.

When he looked like that, she saw the man she'd always wanted. The one she had always thought she loved when she longed for Sasuke.

And on these nights, she had him, she was his and time was never a matter.

He placed a hand on her lower back, need radiating through them both. She felt every last train of thought grind to a halt as he leaned closer, his eyes reflecting the lust she felt. She was the one to close the distance between them, her lips brushing his softly at first before he pressed for more.

Instinct took over as he rolled her onto her back, his hands caging her in once more. But this time, she had never felt so free.

-x-X-x-

"What do you mean you're student broke down your door?" Shizune was staring at Kakashi incredulously.

"Well," he sighed and scratched the back of his head, "it was like he didn't have the patience to bother with knocking. But he had pretty good reason…"

"And that was…?" Shizune was slowly losing her patience with him.

"When he went over to Sakura's this morning, she was missing."

-x-X-x-

The last thing Shikamaru enjoyed in the morning--even more so one after being released from the hospital--would have to be his mother screaming at him from downstairs that he needed to get dressed in a hurry. He grudgingly obeyed, only because this typically meant he was already late for a mission no one had told him about.

He shrugged on his vest and sped down the stairs--only to nearly hit his female teammate in the back.

"Ino?" he was surprised to see her there in the morning.

She turned around slowly, her eyes red from extensive tears. Shikamaru felt his annoyance at his mother waking him subside, replaced by a desperate need to harm whoever had made her cry.

"Nice call with that comment to Sakura," Ino said sarcastically. "She went missing this morning."

-x-X-x-

Beating.

Her eyelids felt heavy, and she wished she could just bury herself in her sheets and never leave.

A pulse.

Sakura dimly recognized the beating she had woken up to as a pulse, much softer than the kinds she listened to at the hospital. So regular, so peaceful.

It was warm.

She could feel something warm beneath her cheek, it moved ever so slightly as she found her eyelids getting less heavy.

A sigh.

Sakura jerked slightly when she realized she had not been the one to sigh, she froze when her warm pillow shifted below her with the breath. Her eyes opened lazily, and she saw that she had fallen asleep on someone's chest.

Itachi's chest.


End file.
